Sail for vessels



(No Model.)

J. 0. WHEEDEN.

SAIL FOR VESSELS.

No. 371,396. Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

WITNESSES Z 0 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. \VHEEDEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SAIL FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,396, dated October11, 1887.

Application filed May 28, 1887. Serial No. 239,613. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES 0. WHEEDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, haveinvented certainnew and useful Improvements in Sails, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved sail for vessels, and has particularreference to vessels which carry square sails.

The invention is illustrated in the accom. panying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows the center three-cornered sail spread and the wingsfurled. Fig. 2 shows the wings which combine with the centerthreecornered sail, the latter, however, not being shown. Fig. 3 showsthe center three-cornered sail and the wings all spread and togethermaking a main-topsail. Fig. 4 shows the curved edges of the wingsslacked away from the center sail to allow the wind to blow through.

The letter A designates the mast; A, the topmast; O, the top-gallantsail, all of which are of ordinary or well-known construction.

My improvement relates to the main-topsail, all the parts comprisingwhich are shown in Fig. 3 spread for sailing. This sail comprises threeparts, the center three-cornered sail, F, and the two wings F F". Thecenter threecornered sail, F, has two corners, 6, made fast to the loweryard,f, while the third and top corner, e, is made fast to the upperyard, f. Thus the center sail stands pyramid shape, having two edges,(2, inclining down from the top corner. This sail may be always spread,and is equal to a close reefed main topsail. The two wings F F are alsothree cornered sails, each having two straight edges and one full-curvededge, 9. These two wings have one straight edge attached to the upperyard, f, acorner, h, of one wing adjoining a corner of the other wing atthe center, and the other straight edge forms the leech t, the bottomcorner, h, being made fast to the lower yard, f. The full-curved edge 9of each wing overlaps one of the inclined edges d of the center sail.Each wing has a crow-foot line, It, attached to its curved edge 9, andfrom thence extends through a snatch-block located (but not visible onthe drawings) on the side of the mast at about the point designated bythe letter Z, and from thence the two lines may extend down the mast,and may be made fast in any suitable manner. \Vhile these lines k aredrawn taut the curved edgesg of the wings will be kept overlapping theinclined edges d of the center sail, and the said three parts F F F thusrigged comprise a full-spread maintopsail, as in Fig. 3. If it isdesired to reef this sail, the lines It may be slacked to allow thecurved edges 9 to part from or slack away from the center sail and formopenings at, as shown in Fig. 4, thus allowing the wind to blow throughthe said openings m. v

If desired, the two wings F F may be furled by letting go their bottomcorner, h, and drawing them up to the upper yard, f, as shown in Fig. 1;or they may be taken down.

A sail thus constructed has more surface, because across the top ofwings it may have greater breadth than would be possible for a squaresail provided with the usual reefs. A vessel will therefore sail fasterwith it.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. An improved square sailconsisting of three parts, namely: the central threecornered sail, F,having two corners made fast to a lower yard, and the single or thirdcorner made fast to an upper yard, said sail Fhaving inclined edges d dand the wings F F each having one of its edges overlapping the inclinededges of sail F, and the crow-foot line k, attached to the bottom edgesof the wings F F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An improved square sail consisting of three parts, namely: thecentral three cornered sail, F, having two corners made fast to one yardand the third corner made fast to another yard, said sail F having twoinclined edges, d d, and the two wings F F, having curved edges 9 g, andeach provided with a line, It, whereby the said curved edges are adaptedto overlap the inclined edges (2 d of sail F or form openings m, as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES C. VVHEEDEN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. MoRRIs, J NO. T. lVIADDOX.

